Girl killed on 18th birthday by 'show off' driver

A young woman was killed on her 18th birthday, and three other teenagers seriously injured, when a "show off" new driver crashed, a court has heard.

Charlie Whittaker, then aged 17, lost control of his Ford Fiesta when he hit a puddle on a country lane while speeding, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Abigail Devanney, who was out celebrating her birthday, was killed instantly and three other teenage passengers left with lifelong injuries when the car smashed into a tree and rolled, ending up on its roof.

Whittaker, who had previously filmed himself driving dangerously and speeding, was jailed for five years and four months, after admitting causing death and serious injury by driving.

Miss Devanney and her friends had been out in Consett, County Durham, on 21 October 2023 when Whittaker, a friend of one of them, picked the group up to take them to Newcastle, prosecutor Jolyon Perks said.

Whittaker, now 19, took a detour in order to fetch a jacket from home and was travelling at an estimated 69mph along an unlit, rural road - Brooms Lane - when, shortly before 22:00 BST, he rounded a corner and hit a puddle caused by an earlier storm, the court heard.

The Fiesta aquaplaned and went off the road into a tree, with the front passenger door ripped off during the incident, the court heard.

Miss Devanney, who was sitting behind the front passenger seat, was not believed to be wearing a seatbelt and was partially thrown from the car, Mr Perks said.

Several of the young passengers' phones, including Miss Devanney's, detected the impact and immediately sent emergency messages to their parents, the court heard.

An 18-year-old girl suffered a devastating brain injury while a 17-year-old girl and 18-year-old boy were also seriously injured, Mr Perks said.

In a statement read to the court, Miss Devanney's mum, Susan, said the emergency alert from Abigail's phone, and her own intuition, immediately told her something was terribly wrong, leaving her anticipating the police knock on the door telling her her daughter was dead.

She recalled how she had welcomed her firstborn child into the world exactly 18 years before, and how she had been instantly "overwhelmed with love" for her daughter.

Mrs Devanney said she had enjoyed watching her daughter grow up and imagining what her life would be - but now imagining was all she had left.

She said the grief of losing a child was "unbearable", adding her daughter had been an "intelligent and kind-natured" girl who had achieved many great things and "left lasting impressions on hundreds of people".

She said she was living the "nightmare all parents dread", adding: "It is a nightmare that will never end."

Miss Devanney's younger sister Amy said many lives had been "ruined" by Whittaker's actions.

The court heard Whittaker, of Hangingstone Lane in Stanley, passed his driving test on 12 April 2023 and his car had been fitted with a tracking device as part of his insurance.

He had removed the device three days before the fatal crash - with Mr Perks observing there had been "no good reason" to do so, other than because the teenager wanted to drive at excessive speeds.

More than 20 videos were found on the youth's phone, in which he filmed himself reaching speeds of 90mph, overtaking vehicles, and narrowly avoiding head-on collisions, in the months before the crash, the court heard.

His car was found to be in full working order apart from three tyres which were "significantly underinflated", Mr Perks said.

A video filmed by one of the passengers shortly before the crash showed the driver was playing loud music.

The prosecutor said Whittaker's driving in the lead up to the crash was "reprehensible", ignoring a sign to slow down. Data from the occupants' mobile phones showed the car was travelling at just over 69mph two seconds before he lost control.

A trained officer who recreated the journey in good weather conditions could only safely reach 65mph, the court heard.

In mitigation, Daniel Cordey said Whittaker was devastated by the consequences of his actions and recognised his driving had been "disgraceful", adding he offered his sincere, heartfelt apologies to those affected by the crash.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said it was an "absolute tragedy", saying Whittaker had "taken a young life" and "profoundly damaged" many others.

He said Abigail was a "young woman full of zest for life" and had "everything to live for".

Her death had caused "almost indescribable pain" and every family milestone would "inevitably be met again with the sense of loss", the judge said.

Judge Carroll said "time and time again" the court had to deal with the "tragic consequences" of young drivers getting into cars and "showing off" while driving "way in excess of their skills or abilities".

"This incident was wholly and completely avoidable," the judge said, adding driving was a privilege, not a right, that came with a duty of care for others.

In addition to the jail sentence, Whittaker was banned from driving for seven years and eight months.

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